Neuroaffirming & Inclusive Support

There is a particular kind of fatigue that can build in work with vulnerable youth. It is not always loud or obvious. Sometimes it looks like checking messages late at night and telling yourself it is only for a minute. Sometimes it shows up as irritability, emotional flatness, or the sense that there is never quite enough of you to meet the needs in front of you. Sometimes it appears as guilt: the feeling that if you were more available, more patient, or more committed, thin

One of the most common frustrations in youth support is the feeling that carefully designed plans still do not lead to real engagement. A meeting goes well on paper. Goals are set. Support is offered. Adults leave feeling reasonably hopeful. Then the young person stops replying, attends inconsistently, or goes along with the process without ever really investing in it. In many cases, the issue is not that support is absent. It is that the young person has had very little real

Few moments test a practitioner more quickly than a young person escalating in front of them. A session that seemed manageable can change in seconds. A student becomes verbally sharp, shuts down completely, walks out, refuses to continue, or reacts with a level of intensity that seems out of proportion to what just happened. In those moments, it is easy to feel a surge of pressure: to regain control, to correct the behaviour, or to stop the situation from getting worse. That

There is often a quiet tension in the first few minutes of working with a vulnerable young person. The room may look calm, the conversation may seem polite, and yet something remains held back. Answers are brief. Eye contact is limited. The young person may appear detached, cautious, or difficult to read. For many practitioners, this is one of the hardest parts of the work: knowing support is needed, while also sensing that trust is still a long way off. It is easy to misread

Sometimes the hardest part of supporting a vulnerable young person is not knowing what else to try. A student has withdrawn, become oppositional, stopped engaging, or developed a pattern of pushing adults away just as support begins. In those moments, it can be tempting to look for a sharper programme, a tighter plan, or a better behaviour strategy. Yet the research across youth services keeps returning to the same point: for many young people facing complex adversity, the re

Many parents of neurodivergent children describe feeling as if they are on trial. In meetings about behaviour, school refusal, or academic struggles, questions can quickly slide from “What does this child need?” to “What are you doing at home?” Subtle comments about routines, screen time, or boundaries can leave families walking away with the message that if they just parented differently, their child would not be struggling. The research paints a more complex and far more co

If we go down the assessment and support path, will my child end up feeling broken?

How infant brain connectivity signals later reading risk

Hidden roots of reading: what infant brain studies reveal about later literacy difficulties

Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) is a research-informed educational programme developed by the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. Launched in response to the growing recognition of neurodiversity within mainstream education, LEANS aims to foster greater understanding, acceptance, and inclusivity for neurodivergent pupils — those who may think, learn or communicate in ways that differ from the majority.​ Personalising literacy to m

A significant new piece of research published in Frontiers in Education (June 2025) titled “Digital literacy and academic performance: The mediating role of self-efficacy and metacognitive strategies” offers compelling insights into how digital literacy skills influence student achievement. Though not specific to neurodivergent learners, its findings have strong implications for how specialist literacy educators can better tailor digital tools and strategies to meet diverse l

New Zealand’s Budget 2025 promises a transformative boost to learning support, with headlines touting $2.5 billion in education spending over four years and major investments in additional learning needs, teacher aides, early intervention, and specialist provision. At first glance, this seems a watershed moment— more teacher aide hours, expanded early intervention, and increased operational grants for schools. However, a closer reading exposes both strengths and substantive g

Insights from Recent Research Twice-exceptional (2e) students are those who possess significant academic talents alongside neurodevelopmental challenges such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Supporting this unique population requires an approach that goes beyond conventional gifted or special education frameworks. A major recent study led by scholars at the University of Connecticut synthesised data from interviews, surveys, and case studies of academically talented student

Recent advances in neuroscience are radically reshaping our understanding of how children learn to read—and why some struggle—offering educators powerful insights for supporting diverse learners in every classroom (Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, 2025; Gotlieb, Rhinehart, & Wolf, 2025). How the Brain Learns to Read Key predictors of future literacy, such as phonological awareness and “perceptual expertise” for letter patterns, are reflected in both brain anatomy and response

A 2024 article from ADDitude Magazine, “Unlocking Achievement in Students with Dyslexia and ADHD” by Dr Mark Bertin, provides an accessible summary of how structured literacy approaches benefit students with ADHD in addition to those with dyslexia (Bertin, 2024). Article Summary Bertin (2024) explains that learning to read is uniquely challenging for many children with dyslexia and for those with ADHD. Structured literacy—characterised by explicit, systematic, and multisensor

A notable 2025 article, “‘Beyond the Stereotype’: Neurodivergent Students’ Experience and Peer and Teacher Understanding of Neurodiversity in a Mainstream Girls’ School” by Milner, Mohamed, and Happé, explores the lived experiences of neurodivergent students and how schools can better support and understand them (Milner et al., 2025). Article Summary This mixed-methods UK study surveyed and interviewed students and teachers in a mainstream school, focusing on neurodivergent s

Recent research highlights that the science of reading—structured, evidence-based instruction—can help up to 95% of students achieve literacy success, including those who are neurodivergent. Strong Tier 1 (core) instruction, delivered with fidelity and responsiveness, is foundational. However, the research also cautions that while whole-class scaffolding and structure benefit all learners, neurodivergent students need more: a hybrid model that combines class-wide strategies w

Supporting children who struggle with reading, writing, or spelling—especially those who are neurodivergent or learning English as an additional language—can feel overwhelming. With so much new research emerging, it’s important to understand not only what each study says but how these findings fit together to shape effective teaching and tutoring practices. In this post, we’ll explore the key insights from the latest research on structured literacy and neurodiversity, highlig